In a startling incident highlighting security concerns on Mumbai's local trains, a 19-year-old man was apprehended by the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Wadala on Friday for allegedly impersonating a government railway officer. The arrest followed the discovery of a suspected fake identity card in his possession during a routine ticket check on a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) bound local train.
The Ticket Check That Led to Exposure
The sequence of events unfolded around 12:15 pm on Friday at GTB Nagar Railway Station's Platform No. 2. The complainant, Nita Krishna Myathri, a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) currently posted with the Special Squad (Tejaswini), was conducting ticket checks in the first-class compartment. When she approached a young man for his ticket, he claimed to be a staff member. Upon being asked to produce his identity card for verification, he presented one that immediately raised Myathri's suspicions due to its dubious appearance.
Questioning Reveals Online Forgery
Acting swiftly on her doubts, TTE Myathri escorted the individual to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) post at Wadala Road for further inquiry. During questioning by officers, the man identified himself as Afaan Khan Firoz Khan. He reportedly confessed to having created the counterfeit identity card online through the EPIK app.
The fabricated ID card bore several official-looking details. It listed Afaan Khan Firoz Khan's designation as Assistant Station Manager with ID Number BOM009090 and a Year of Issue as 2025. It stated his department as Engineering under the Central Railway, Mumbai Division. The card featured a yellow emblem on the left, a red logo on the right with "Bharatiya Railway" in Marathi and "INDIAN RAILWAY" in English, along with a blue ribbon containing similar descriptions.
Legal Action for Impersonation
A GRP officer confirmed the card was entirely fake. "The ID card was fake. Following the complaint by the TTE, we booked the man for impersonating a government official," the officer stated. Based on the formal complaint lodged by TTE Nita Krishna Myathri, the Wadala GRP registered a case against Afaan Khan Firoz Khan under relevant sections of the law for pretending to be a public servant.
This incident underscores the vigilance of railway personnel and raises questions about the ease of creating counterfeit official documents through digital means. It serves as a warning against such fraudulent activities on India's vast railway network, which carries millions of passengers daily.
